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Proposals have previously been put forth by the Committee of the Regions.

German public broadcaster ARD will handle future ESC preliminary decisions autonomously, excluding Stefan Raab from their new plans.

,   and  ASMedia
2 min read
Proposals have been put forth by the Committee of the Regions.
Proposals have been put forth by the Committee of the Regions.

Proposals have previously been put forth by the Committee of the Regions.

In a significant shift for the German Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) preliminary round, entertainer Stefan Raab will not be involved in the selection process for the 2026 competition, according to the Southwest Broadcasting Corporation (SWR).

The SWR, which will be responsible for the German preliminary round for the first time in 2026, has confirmed reports from fan blog 'ESC kompakt' and industry service 'dwdl.de'. Previously, the North German Broadcasting Corporation had managed the format for decades.

The change in management comes as ARD and RTL have jointly decided not to cooperate for the ESC preliminary round 2026. This decision means that Stefan Raab, who had been reintegrated into the German ESC selection process in 2025 to improve Germany's chances of success, will no longer be part of the process.

Raab's withdrawal from the public eye in 2015 was followed by his return to the camera in September 2024. His most notable achievement in the ESC was organizing the preliminary round and selecting Lena Meyer-Landrut for the contest in 2010, which brought Germany its first ESC victory since 1982. Raab also composed the title 'Guildo hat euch lieb,' which Guildo Horn participated with in 1998 and finished seventh.

Last year, the sibling duo Abor & Tynna emerged as winners from the preliminary round led by Raab, but despite Raab's stated goal of winning, the duo finished 15th in the ESC. The partners for the German preliminary round for the ARD have not been determined.

The preliminary round will be broadcast at the end of February in the first channel, with the main contest taking place in May 2026 in Vienna. Meanwhile, TV entertainer Raab is no longer part of the show 'Drei gegen Einen – Die Show der Champions,' which he hosted. He is being replaced by Jan Köppen starting from September 27, 2025.

Instead of the format with several shows, there will only be one preliminary round in the first channel next year. The SWR has not announced any plans for cooperation with Raab for the ESC preliminary round 2026.

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